weight loss

Weight Loss

Many people start (and continue) running because it's a highly effective—and inexpensive—way to lose weight and keep it off. Running is a great calorie burner, but it's all too easy for all but the highest mileage runners to consume more calories in a sitting than they have burned off in a training run.
The good news is that a National Runner's Health Study shows that runners gain less per decade than their sedentary counterparts. But that doesn't mean we're immune from weight gain; runners gain an average of 3.3 pounds per decade! Follow these guidelines to help maintain your current weight, or to lose those extra pounds.

Weight Loss Tips

Make Yourself Accountable

Try keeping track of every morsel you eat and every sip you take for at least a week (or longer for better results). By tracking what you eat, you will begin to see patterns and habits that may warrant change. Some changes may seem drastic at first: Switch to snacking on fruit or yogurt in lieu of chips or candy. Other changes might be more subtle: Expand your cooking repertoire to include a wider array of colorful veggies or eat more beans. Over time, you'll begin to understand what you need to change in order to achieve and maintain your ideal weight.

Food from Every Group

All too often, runners complain they can't lose weight because they're always hungry. If this sounds familiar, your diet could be lacking in something: fluids, total carbohydrates, protein, or fat. Carbohydrates supply energy, protein is crucial for muscle repair and recovery, and dietary fat makes you feel full and provides additional energy. If you neglect any one food group, you’re more likely to overeat the others.

Portion Size Matters

Be accountable for your portion sizes. Measure everything you pour into a bowl or grab with your hands. This will keep you honest about how much you are really eating. Even healthy foods can add up to too many calories if you don't pay attention to portion sizes.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the kale on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 12-15 minutes, watching closely after 10 minutes to be sure the kale does not burn. Remove from oven when crispy but still green.

Kick that kale up a notch by adding one of the following topping combinations:
(Remove the kale from the oven after 5-7 minutes, add one of the topping combinations, toss, and continue baking for the remaining 5-7 minutes)

New York Road Runners serves nearly 600,000 runners of all ages and abilities annually through hundreds of races, community open runs, walks, training sessions, and other running-related programming, with 267,000 youth participating in free fitness programs and events nationally, including 134,000 in New York City’s five boroughs.